BubbleStream

John J Heldon

Ark Book IV: Ghosts

Synopsis

Nicknamed the Ark, this old gym is a limbo for six ghosts from 1971, who are discovered by a retired alum who they hope will be the conduit between themselves and their unhappy living persons, thereby providing the answers to their 'young' and 'old' predicaments.
If a reader enjoyed a book like W.P. Kinsella’s 'Shoeless Joe', or its movie adaptation, 'Field of Dreams', they will appreciate Ark’s different slant, served slightly chilled, sprinkled with humor, and a twist at the end.
“This book is a cocktail of humor and seriousness, reminding readers that it is never too late to give life a second chance and that our mistakes exist to learn from, not regret,” explains Heldon. “The book is set in the present; the first volume of a middle trilogy with eight more volumes in the works. Sport is the springboard for the Ark saga, but the ensuing volumes plunge into what’s most important in life. The first trilogy tells of how the past got us to our present, while the last trilogy will express my hopes for the human race in the future. The timeline is billions of years, told in a fantasy not too far beyond our grasp of the possible.”
Continuing, “Readers will be able to twist their own lives around the narrative, turning the last page with a new perspective on their existence. Redemption is for our spirit to live beyond our corporal “shell”, but it is never too early to start this fundamental journey.”

Author Biography

John J. Heldon, Jr.(1947-) I was born and raised in Bergen County, NJ. and attended Rutgers University. After a long career in sales before founding my own business, I 'retired', to work and love twice as much as a writer. I've always been an avid student of human behavior, from its funny side and foibles, to its disgust and profundity. "Ark Book IV: Ghosts" is my first novel of the Ark series. I live in Marlboro, NJ, with my wife, better half, and inspirational character, Ginni, along with our hyperactive Maltese, Lily, who keeps us young.

Author Insight

A Higher Power

Stephen Hawking is one of the greatest abstract thinkers of all time. He's harnessed deeper thoughts to explain many physical phenomena, but they're still many inexplicable things to deny a higher power doesn't exist.

Book Excerpt

Ark Book IV: Ghosts

“Slick, how did you know I’d be here at this time today?”

“I didn’t. I was just hoping you’d come back ASAP. You turned out to be the person I’d been hoping to find here. I’ve had hopes and dreams, more so than the other guys on the team. We all love this place, but there’s gotta be a reason we keep replaying these games over and over here. Don’t get me wrong, we still love playing. This was the best time in our lives. There’s a higher power making us do this over and over.

I think Stephen Hawking is full of it. There must be a God.”

I heard a voice this morning, out of nowhere, telling me to return to the Ark, today. Was that you?”

“Say what?” I can’t say anything that can be heard outside this building, and inside, only to my team, and now, you. In fact, none of us can even leave this place. I can’t explain the voice. Take that again, Mr.

Hawking!” Slick said.

“Hey Mister, are you alright? You’re talking to yourself.” A scruffy, back packed student in shorts and a blue Sunnyside tee shirt was staring at me out of the corner of his eye.

“Don’t mind me,” I fumbled. “Sometimes I mumble to myself… it’s a long story,” was the best I could manage. The kid just shrugged, and sauntered away from us.